[Cavendish]

Just a quick question, we recently went on holiday, so we bookeed freddie into the kennels.
Before we went is furr had become quite oily and he started to smell quite stongly, more then he usually would. when I picked him up the smell had disapearred and his fur was dry (not oily) and lovely to stroke.
Could it be the different food he was given while in the kennels or could it be a skin condition?...
I have just read about some skin conditions that these syptoms seems to point to.
 
I suppose a trip to vets might in order.
 
Any suggestions fellow TAS memeber may have would be greatly appreciated

[Old Shep]

Kennels often shampoo the dogs before owners pick them up (ours does anyway).  Maybe this was what has happened?  Is there any itchy associated with the oilyness?

[Mammyshaz]

Just going to post the same as shep.

Most kennels shampoo the dogs before the owners arrive on the last day. They can smell a bit, from pee on their paws etc. Even at the cleanest of kennels.

[Cavendish]

it is a possibility that they did that, although prior to his holiday at the kennels he use to scratch quite alot generally all over more then I would have thought a dog should?. he also knores at the skin around his under carriage, which started to look quite raw / scabby, whether that was because of him knoring or a skin complaint which was making him knore at it I am unsure.
 
I suppose the best thing to do would be to take him to the vet and get them to specifically look at it.

[Fowgill Farm]

It might be worth giving the kennels a call to see if they did anything specific to make him smell & feel better, chances are he just picked up a skin infection and a few baths with a medicated shampo have cleared it up, its possible its a regime you may have to continue to keep it at bay. Sometimes the simplest of remedies cure minor ailments.
HTH
mandy 

[Old Shep]

It sounds as if he has an allergic reaction to something which is very common in dogs.  It could be food related or pollen related.  If its all year round I would suspect food, if its seasonal I would suspect pollens.  Or a combination of the two.  One of mind reacts to anything from a cow (beef, dairy) and also heather in bloom! Beef intolerance is very common as is a reaction to grains (wheat, rice, maize etc).

[Sylvia]

My Ibizan suffers from an allergy to harvest mites, chews at her paws and legs. I give her an anti histamine tablet(Tesco's own brand) once a day 'til the cold weather. Or, if they pick up a flea this can cause itching and chewing, a dog can look a wreck overnight from a flea allergy!! Maybe the kennel gives a flea bath as a matter of course in case your dog has picked up fleas in the kennel.

[Mammyshaz]

It could be something you are feeding which causes skin problems. Did the kennels feed a different diet. If so perhaps try this diet.
If it was your normal food, it could be an allergy to something where you walk him, or something in your house. Flea bites can cause serious allergies, as been mentioned. But so do the likes of febreze and other household sprays or even washing powder used on the bedding.

You may not find out why the skin was bad before and now improved. I would check with kennels, and look at what is used at home. Then keep  it doesn't return. If it does then you can try to work out the cause from your differences between home and kennels.

Good luck. Skin problems can sometimes be a nightmare to find a cause.